2000 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 462 – Employer liability/employee actions

HOUSE BILL NO. 462

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Daily Data Tracking History



H0462................................by JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION
EMPLOYER LIABILITY - Adds to existing law to limit the legal liability of
an employer for the tortious acts of an employee.
                                                                        
01/31    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/01    Rpt prt - to Jud

Bill Text


 H0462
                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-fifth Legislature                  Second Regular Session - 2000
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 462
                                                                        
                      BY JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO EMPLOYER LIABILITY FOR ACTS OF AN EMPLOYEE; AMENDING  CHAPTER  16,
  3        TITLE  6, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 6-1607, IDAHO CODE,
  4        TO LIMIT THE LIABILITY  OF  AN  EMPLOYER  FOR  THE  TORTIOUS  ACTS  OF  AN
  5        EMPLOYEE.
                                                                        
  6    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  7        SECTION  1.  That  Chapter  16,  Title  6, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
  8    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and  des-
  9    ignated as Section 6-1607, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
 10        6-1607.  EMPLOYER  LIABILITY  FOR EMPLOYEE TORTS. (1) No employer shall be
 11    directly or indirectly liable in tort based upon  an  employer/employee  rela-
 12    tionship  for any act or omission of an employee which occurs after the termi-
 13    nation of the employee's employment unless it is shown by clear and convincing
 14    evidence that the acts or omissions of the employer  itself  constitute  gross
 15    negligence  or  reckless,  willful  and  wanton conduct as those standards are
 16    defined in section 6-904C, Idaho Code, and were a proximate cause of the  dam-
 17    age sustained.
 18        (2)  There  shall  be a presumption that an employer is not liable in tort
 19    based upon an employer/employee relationship for any act or omission of a cur-
 20    rent employee unless the employee was  wholly  or  partially  engaged  in  the
 21    employer's business, reasonably appeared to be engaged in the employer's busi-
 22    ness,  was on the employer's premises when the allegedly tortious act or omis-
 23    sion of the employee occurred, or was otherwise under the direction or control
 24    of the employer when the act or omission occurred.  This  presumption  may  be
 25    rebutted  only  by  clear  and convincing evidence that the employer's acts or
 26    omissions constituted gross negligence or, reckless, willful and  wanton  con-
 27    duct  as those standards are defined in section 6-904C, Idaho Code, and were a
 28    proximate cause of the damage sustained.
 29        (3)  In every civil action to which  this  section  applies,  an  employer
 30    shall  have  the  right (pursuant to pretrial motion and after opportunity for
 31    discovery) to a hearing before the court in which the person asserting a claim
 32    against an employer must establish a reasonable likelihood of proving facts at
 33    trial sufficient to support a finding that liability  for  damages  should  be
 34    apportioned to the employer under the standards set forth in this section.  If
 35    the  court finds that this standard is not met, the claim against the employer
 36    shall be dismissed and the employer shall be included  on  a  special  verdict
 37    form.
 38        (4)  Nothing  in  this  section shall be construed to expand any rights of
 39    recovery under the common law or to limit any person's rights under any  other
 40    statute  including,  but not limited to, chapter 59, title 67, Idaho Code, and
 41    title 72, Idaho Code.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


                     STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                           RS 09716C1 

This legislation would limit a private or public employer's 
liability for the acts of former employees committed after 
the termination of employment and for acts of current 
employees committed off the job. The person who commits the 
act which causes the injury will remain responsible for the 
consequences of the act, but liability will not be imputed 
to the employer unless the employer has been grossly negligent 
or reckless.

                           FISCAL NOTE

This bill has no fiscal impact except to the extent that 
liability of the state and local government entities for 
tort claims would be reduced.

CONTACT: Dawn Justice
343-1849
Ken McClure
388-1200

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/ FISCAL NOTE           Bill No. H 462